Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-14
KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY
REV. T. T. CHRISTIAN ON THE
SABBATH QUESTION.

anu vi CfhhSoiiShh
anity-Causes That are Leading to the
Overthrow OF the Sabbath-COrrupt
Legislation, the ImpIsntinE of Foreign
Customs, the Tolerance of Parades and
Every Day Amusements Threatening
It's AnnihiIatIon.
The Observance of the Sabbath was the
subject OF Rev, T. T. Christian's sermon
at Trinity Church yesterday morning.
'lt the foundations be destroyed, what
can the righteous do"' from Paul XII, 3,
was the preachers text.
''The chief foundation for all good gov
eminent and for morals and religion" he
began, sis the Christian Sabbath. Take
this away and the world may as we'll
capitulate to the powers of darkness.
Our Creator sent with the new-made
world the Fourth Commandment. The
third rule OF the Methodist Church for
bids the profaning of the day of the Lord,
either by doing ordinary work therein or
by buying or selling.' This is impera-
tive, as is the rule forbdding profanity,
drunkenness and dishonesty.
1t is manifest to the careful observer OF
the signs Of the times that the
great battle which is now to be fought
between the friends and the enemies of
Evangelical Christianity is to be on the
sabbath question, its perpetuity or de-
struction. The theological world has no
question before it of such magnitude as
this, The forces on either side are being
marshaled. Agencies and influences of
all kinds are drilling for the fray. AL
though as yet there has been ouly little
diminishing here and there, when we take
calm survey of the mutitudes against
us, led on as they are by the great enemy
OF God, there Is reason TOR serious alarm
on the part OF the friends of the Sabbath.
OVERTHROW OF THE SABBATH.
"First let us see what Is being done for
the overthrow of tue Sabbath, and the
powers that are working for It's accom-
plishment. The greatest danger is Just
where we do not suspect it. L allude to
the alarming lexity which prevails in the
family. Many OF you can remember
when you complained of the rigidness of
the Sabbath law IN the family. There was
coercion without instruction. The change
has given lis extreme laXity and over
freedom i'll it's observance. You may see
it in the utter disregard of the Lords
day wherever business, pleasure or in
clinatiOn Is in the way. The authority OF
God is disregarded by the railroad, the
steamboat, the traveller, the pleasure
seeker and the business man.
THE VOICE OF GOD DROWNED.
even in our own city the voice of God
has been drowned out by the tramp of the
military, and the drum and fife, that
mortal man, whose life is an hairsbreadth,
might receive distinction. But even in
the families of the Christian church there
is the same disregard for the holy day in
calling, visiting and travelling; and worst
of all in the now prevailing custom OF
going to church but once on Sunday.
Children are reared up to dlsreg gard it;
its sancity Is not impressed upon their
minds. Even in Sunday service the SER
mons must be shortened that they may
visit places of pleasure; and this when
but very small proportion OF them have
attended any service besides. Here Is
where the work of reform must be start
ed.
KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY.
1.-THE young of the family must be taught
| to honor, revere and love lhe Sabbath
day and to keep it holy. do not want TO
be understood as being opposed to Immi-
| grafton. for many OF our best citizens are
of allen birth; but the great influx of
| foreigners on our shores Is making sad in
roads upon our time-honored custom of
| keeping holy the Sabbath day. Instead OF
| conforming to the customs of the land OF
their adoption these foreigners bring with
them their old world Sunday, which is to
| them a day for merrymaking and pleasure
seeking in city and country; here In this
| devoted land OF ours they cast their in
| fluence against the American Sunday.
| This ought not to be. The very pros
perity which they do not find at the homes
they have lett, and which they seek here,
| cannot stand when constantly menaced
by misunderstanding people.
EVIL LEGISLATION.
Too IT, -
evil Is adverse legislation. Every year
there is clamor from the politician, who
would truckle to a false public sentiment,
to weaken the sanctity Of the Sabbath and
| make it a day ofmere pleasure and vicious
| indulgence. The voice OF the rumseller
and the voice of the infidel are every
where waxing louder and louder for the
| breaking down OF all law restraining SUM-
day traffic. Opening libraries and muse
ums and converting public parks into
places of Sunday entertainment. All
| these things threaten the annihIlation of
| our Sunday laws. Perhaps the most pow
| erful of all evil influences that are at the
back of this deviPs work is the liquor
traffic interest, with its great wealth and
its organized forces for otfense and de-
tense. Who has not noticed the rumseler
lavish upon those that are his, the fire
brick house, the $4,000 equipage, the $500
cloak?
THE CHRISTIANS IMPERATIVE DUTY.
SIN view OF these facts, is it not the i'm
perative duty Of everyone that reverences
the Sabbath day and who has any sort of
desire to see it kept as such, to sound the
alarm and rally to the support OF all wise
measures to defeat the designs OF it's enc
mics and TO create and foster proper
public sentiment; to discountenance Sab
bath breaking; to keep the Sabbath your
selves and to restore it to your families
as a day of rest, Of peace and quiet ana
moral and religious culture? The Sun
day school power must be enlisted In the
cause. Temperance organizations must
come to the rescue. The pulpit of the
whole land must be stirred up to give a
mighty blast.
THE PRESS INVOKED.
"The religious press must give no I'M
certain sound, for all these cannot stand
il the Sabbath goes down; and as far as
possible the secular press, or the better
portion OF 1t, must be persuaded to bear
u helping hand, when this. our dearest
interest as a nation is imperiled. Our
Legislators must be zealOusly watched
and proper men sent to vote and pray.
Christian leagues must be formed In
every city and town to see TO IL that our
Sabbath laws respecting the sale Of
liquor. tobacco, cigars, confectionery, the
prohibition OF gambling, the running of
G,o ota ha